Mr. Speaker, I will do my best to represent the Northwest Territories, our residents, and to protect the water quality. The problem here also is that our government, the Government of the Northwest Territories, does not have jurisdictions over lands and water with respect to the waters that are in the Northwest Territories, and to the lands that are Crown lands. The responsibility lies with the Department of Indian Affairs. In terms of our Trans-Boundary Water negotiations, Indian Affairs negotiates on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, in the water quality agreements. So far, our government has been involved in quite a few committees that monitor the water quality, and also in terms of Environment Canada and putting up stations, monitoring stations, throughout the Northwest Territories. I
believe that we have a dozen committees that we are involved in, but the Government of the Northwest Territories does not have a legislative mandate at this point in respect to water in the Northwest Territories, but the federal government, Indian and Northern Affairs, as well as Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans, have the responsibility in that particular area. Since we do not have the responsibility or jurisdiction over lands and waters in the Northwest Territories, we do not have legislation at the present time, although our government has been pursuing that responsibility be devolved to our government, from the federal government, for quite some time. We have not been successful, yet. Thank you.